U District Station Area Mobility Plan

U DISTRICT MOBILITY GROUP
U District Station Area Mobility Plan
FINAL | SEPTEMBER 2018

Acknowledgments
This plan was prepared for the U District community and led by the U District Mobility Group with participation from a Strategy
Group consisting of the City of Seattle, relevant transit agencies, and other stakeholders. The project was made possible with
financial support from various sources: U District Advocates, U District BIA, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Sound
Transit, Seattle Children’s, and the University of Washington. Funding also provided by the Neighborhood Matching Fund from the
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
U DISTRICT MOBILITY GROUP MEMBERS CONSULTANT TEAM

Cory Crocker, U District Advocates John Owen, MAKERS Architecture & Urban Design
Ruedi Risler, University Park Community Club Rachel Miller, MAKERS Architecture & Urban Design
Kate Lewis, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Ian Crozier, MAKERS Architecture & Urban Design
Drew Dresman, Seattle Children’s Hospital Amalia Leighton, Toole Design Group
Jamie Cheney, Seattle Children’s Hospital Michael Hintze, Toole Design Group
Phil Miller, University of Washington Aaron Gooze, Fehr & Peers
Chase Landrey, U District Partnership Emily Gerhart, Fehr & Peers
Miriam Castro, U District, Let’s Go!
STRATEGY GROUP MEMBERS FINANCIAL SPONSORS

Rob Johnson, Seattle City Councilmember
Mike O’Brien, Seattle City Councilmember Seattle Children's
Amy Gore, Legislative Aide to Councilmember Johnson
Jasmine Marwaha, Legislative Aide to Councilmember O’Brien
Ian Macek, Seattle Department of Transportation Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Jonathan Lewis, Seattle Department of Transportation

Brian Dougherty, Seattle Department of Transportation
Belén Herrera, Seattle Department of Transportation Seattle Department of Transportation
Brand Koster, King County Metro

Kate Elliott, King County Metro
Carrie Avila-Mooney, Sound Transit Sound Transit
Kristin Hoffman, Sound Transit

Juan Higuera, Sound Transit
U District Advocates
Celeste Gilman, Washington Department of Transportation
Scott Ritterbush, Community Transit
Gordon Padelford, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
U District BIA
Rick McLaughlin, U District Small Businesses
Jonathan Hopkins, Commute Seattle
FISCAL SPONSOR University of Washington
U District Mobility is a project of U District Advocates, a 501c3

nonprofit, and donations to the project are tax-deductible.
II U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Contents
U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN .....................................................................................................I
Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................................................................................... ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................9
Background .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Project Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Report Contents ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
EXISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS ................................................................................................. 13

Pedestrian Circulation ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Safety ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Bus Transit ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Future Light Rail Transit ........................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Vehicle Traffic ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Bicycle Facilities ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Parking........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Delivery and Business Access ........................................................................................................................................................... 21
Development Context ........................................................................................................................................................................... 22
PLANNING PROCESS ......................................................................................................................................... 23

Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Phase 1: Before Light Rail Station Opening in 2021 ............................................................................................................. 32
Phase 2: Near-Term Improvements and Interim Solutions (2021-2028) ................................................................... 33
Phase 3: Long-Term Vision (2028+) ............................................................................................................................................... 34
CONCEPTUAL STREET DESIGNS AND OTHER MOBILITY PROPOSALS..................................................... 35

University Way (the Ave) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 36
NE 43rd Street.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Brooklyn Avenue NE............................................................................................................................................................................... 46
U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN III

DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER PROJECTS ............................................................................................................ 51
Improve Pedestrian and Transit Conditions on NE 45th Street ....................................................................................... 51
East-West Bicycle Route and Pedestrian/Bicycle Crossing Over I-5 ............................................................................. 53
Circulation in Alleys and Mid-Block Passages........................................................................................................................... 54
Vehicular Circulation Near University Bridge and NE 40th Street Split ...................................................................... 55
Farmers Market and Promenade on the Ave to Cowen Park.............................................................................................. 56
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 57
APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................................................... 61
IV U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Executive Summary
The U District light rail station will open in 2021

adjacent to the intersection of Brooklyn Avenue
NE and NE 43rd Street, with a projected 22,000 to
26,000 combined daily boardings and alightings
by 2042. With recent zoning updates, the area’s
residential population is expected to add 5,000
new housing units and 4,800 new jobs by 2035.
Additionally, the University of Washington plans to
expand its student and staff population by about
20%. Realizing the need for a comprehensive
mobility plan to address these challenges,
coordinate transportation improvements, and
achieve community objectives, the U District
Figure 1. UDMG booth at the 2018 Streetfair.
Mobility Group (UDMG), a volunteer group of
residents, small business owners, and institution
representatives, initiated this study to improve access and circulation
in the station area. Leveraging funds from several sources and a
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund
grant, the UDMG prepared this plan that identifies the University
District community’s vision, goals, and preferences regarding mobility
improvements that will occur in the near-term and long-term future.
The plan is a result of both extensive and intensive community

engagement. The UDMG team received over 2,400 responses or
interactions regarding mobility in the District from three public
surveys, three public workshops, numerous small group and
business owner meetings, several presentations to review boards
and community groups, and a street fair booth that encouraged
participants to register their preferences. In addition, the UDMG
team actively collaborated with the City and transit agencies
through a series of “Strategy Group” work sessions that included
representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation, King
County Metro, and Sound Transit, among other participants. From this
input, the following principles emerged:
ExECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
Give top priority to Design for pedestrian access Configure an efficient,
pedestrian movement. to the station flexible bus route network.
While transit, auto, and bike NE 43rd Street from 15th The District’s accessibility
transportation are important, Avenue NE to Brooklyn depends on the maintenance
it is pedestrian circulation Avenue NE will see dramatic and expansion of its
that connects destinations increases in pedestrian currently excellent bus
and other modes. Current volumes between the light service. Convenient transfers
sidewalks will not be sufficient rail station, the Ave, and the between bus and light rail
to provide comfortable walking University. Additionally, buses are a community priority.
along University Way NE and may be routed westbound Local route planning will
NE 43rd Street. Among those in the short-term. Therefore, begin in 2019 and may
participating on the project, a curbless street section is consider substantially more
there was overwhelming public recommended that allows for bus trips. This engagement
support for transforming greater pedestrian space and process by Metro should
University Way NE (the Ave) the flexibility to adapt to mode include all members of the
into a pedestrian street from changes over time. Pedestrian community and stakeholders,
NE 42nd Street to NE 45th improvements across NE 45th including, but not limited
Street in the long-term. This Street at Brooklyn Avenue to: residents, community
does not mean that there were NE will be needed to provide councils, small businesses,
not concerns with various better access to the light rail social service organizations,
levels of pedestrianization. station from the north. students, property owners,
This will require a strategic and developers. At the same
sequence of actions, but time, buses can bring negative
incremental improvements can impacts such as noise and
be phased to provide benefits fumes that hinder street life
when they are implemented on the Ave, and the need for
and adjustments made to layover space that diminishes
support local businesses, parking and pedestrian
achieve the optimal balance activity. It is important that
between pedestrian and the U District community have
vehicle movement, and a strong voice in bus transit
produce a safe and inviting planning and that any route
public realm. The U District configuration minimizes these
Small Businesses Association is impacts while enhancing route
but one organization that will speed and reliability. For this
participate in the process. reason, this plan recommends
that Brooklyn Avenue NE be
considered as part of a future
bus route network in order to
provide greater bus routing
flexibility and access to the
light rail station.
2 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Create a safe and attractive Complete the bicycle Address the multimodal
street environment for network. challenges on NE 45th
people of all abilities Street.
SDOT has already completed
Public participants made it a protected bike lane There is a pressing need for an
clear that local streets should southbound on Roosevelt east-west transit connection
support a cohesive, attractive, Avenue NE and will soon install between Ballard, the U District,
and safe community for people a complementary northbound and east to the Sand Point
of all abilities. The Ave and NE lane on 11th Avenue NE. The area. At the same time, many
43rd Street should emerge two will provide excellent community participants
as regionally recognized connections to the north and noted that NE 45th Street is a
signature streets. University of south. For cyclists preferring significant barrier to pedestrian
Washington representatives a calmer north-south route, circulation – especially at
noted that special streetscape 12th Avenue NE was originally 15th Avenue NE, the Ave, and
design emphasis should be designated as a neighborhood Brooklyn Avenue NE. While
placed on Brooklyn Avenue ‘greenway’ (a quiet, low-traffic this plan does not categorically
NE to visually connect it to route) and this plan considers recommend specific solutions
the previously improved this as an option, among others. to these vexing challenges,
West Campus segment. What is missing is a safe east- it does include suggestions
Other improvements include west connection across the for signal, bus stop, and
streetscape enhancements as freeway to the light rail station intersection modifications that
part of the University’s campus and the campus. This plan should be considered in any
perimeter landscaping and a recommends a preferred route, access planning around NE
farmers-market-to-Cowen-Park as well as a northbound bicycle 45th Street
promenade on the Ave north of lane on Brooklyn Ave NE below
NE 50th Street. NE 43rd Street.
ExECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
The following map illustrates how the individual principles previously
described are integrated into a functional concept to be pursued over
the long-term.
Street Use by Mode
11th Ave
12th Ave
Pedestrian-priority
(service and emergency
vehicles only)
Bicycles
NE 45th St
Buses Near Term
9th Ave NE
Buses Long Term
Private Vehciles
NE 43rd St NE 43rd St
Roosevelt Way NE
Other Elements
University Way NE
Brooklyn Ave NE
Development coordinated
UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON
to provide access and
NE 42nd St internal circulation
Parking Reservoir
8th Ave NE
NE 41st St
NE Campus Pkwy
NE 40th St
Functional conceptual map of recommended principles.
While the previous principles provide a clear direction addressing

the District’s mobility challenges, there are important realities
regarding the process by which transportation improvements will be
implemented:
• Decisions will be made by multiple agencies over time,
• There are a number of questions, uncertainties, and technical
issues that are impossible to foresee at this time which may
influence future decisions,
• There are actions, trends, and conditions emerging both inside
and outside the U District that may affect future decisions, and
• The U District community will continue to participate in the process.
This means that the plan is a strategic framework for making

decisions over time rather than a static blueprint. At the same time,
there is an urgent need for a comprehensive technical analysis
that examines circulation options for actions such as signal
timing, bus movement impacts, parking needs, pedestrian level of
service, etc. Given those caveats, the plan proposes the following
recommendations:

Phase 1: Before Light Rail Station Opening in 2021
1. Prepare a U District Shared Mobility Hub Plan1 that builds on
this plan, analyzes key intersections, informs the Metro Transit
route planning (to be initiated in 2019), provides the necessary
information for street design, includes a parking strategy,
provides for pedestrian needs, incorporates bicycle facilities
objectives, and identifies measures to provide access to the
station and key activities (e.g.: small businesses, the UW, the PHASE 1
University Bookstore, etc.). Before Light Rail Station
Opening
2. Begin Metro bus route planning (2019). Address community 2021
concerns including diesel bus impacts to the Ave, congestion at
key intersections, adequate street pavements for buses where
there may be a potential need, impacts of bus layovers, options to PHASE 2
layover buses at other station areas, service expansion, transfers, Near-Term Improvements and
and options for buses on Brooklyn Avenue NE. Interim Solutions
2021-2028
3. Explore opportunities to increase speed and reliability on an
east-west transit route through RapidRide planning process.
4. Design and construct NE 43rd Street from Brooklyn Avenue to PHASE 3
15th Avenue NE improvements to support future pedestrian Long-Term Vision
2028+
volumes. If necessary, accommodate transit routing as a
temporary measure. Congestion may make this route problematic
and a pedestrian orientation is preferred. Work with adjacent
property owners (especially the University Bookstore) to ensure
access and integrate development with the streetscape. Construct
a bike lane west of Brooklyn Avenue NE.
5. Construct a protected bike lane on 11th Avenue NE as part
of Roosevelt RapidRide. Construct or paint east-west bike
connections when there are opportunities.
6. Before station opening improve pedestrian crossings of NE 45th
Street within the study area, especially at Brooklyn Ave. Ensure
signal timing prioritizes pedestrian crossing.
Current conditions on NE 45th Street.
7. Establish standards for design and construction of right-of-way
improvements on Brooklyn Avenue NE to be implemented as part
of private or institutional development. Begin first phase of public
and private construction. (See #20.)
1 Development of a Mobility Hub program and implementation plan is

identified as a "first move" strategy in SDOT's 2017 Mobility Playbook. Mobility Hubs
are a physical manifestation of mobility as a service, prioritizing the highest capacity
modes, facilitating connections through information and wayfinding, and developing
local partnerships to increase utility of the hub for members of the surrounding
community.
ExECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
8. Begin a comprehensive parking management strategy to identify
means to ensure that there will be adequate on-street and off-
street short-term parking for businesses and those who require
vehicles for access (e.g.: people with limited mobility).
9. Maintain and strengthen homelessness and crisis intervention
programs to ensure that the needs of individuals experiencing
homelessness are addressed compassionately.
10. Continue to support and provide resources to a public realm
maintenance and management program to keep pedestrian areas
safe and attractive.
11. Use the U District as one of the pilot areas for upcoming SDOT
wayfinding plan.
12. Continue alley activation efforts as outlined in the U District
Alley Activation Plan and implement development provisions for
internal building service and mid-block passageways.
13. Begin collaborative planning of private development between
NE 45th Street, 15th Avenue NE, NE 42nd Street, and Brooklyn
Avenue NE to improve circulation, infrastructure, services, and
development opportunities. Consider collaborative access and
parking, alley reconfiguration, east-west pass-throughs, etc. (Note:
recent development in Pike/Pine provides a model.)
14. Monitor and address impacts to businesses from transportation
changes. (Ongoing throughout all phases.)
Figure 2. A multimodal green street proposal for Brooklyn Avenue NE.

Phase 2: Near-Term Improvements and Interim
Solutions (2021-2028)
15. Operate buses on the Ave with battery power only or remove
from this street.
16. Implement RapidRide transit and pedestrian improvements on NE
45th Street.
17. Construct first phase of the Ave improvements between NE 42nd
Street and NE 45th Street.
18. Improve pedestrian and bicycle crossing of I-5 with east-west
bike routes on NE 45th Street.
19. Plan and construct pedestrian improvements to University Way
NE north of NE 50th Street to Cowen Park.
20. Permit and construct improvements to Brooklyn Avenue NE
as part of new private or institutional development. Ensure
consistency with the objectives of this plan and that the street
will accommodate the potential for buses as well as providing a
high-quality streetscape.
21. Monitor congestion and mobility problems and adjust as
necessary.
22. Conduct planning process for future mid-week Farmers Market.
Proposal for a curbless design on NE 43rd Street.
ExECUTIVE SUMMARY 7
Phase 3: Long-Term Vision (2028+)
23. Remove buses and private vehicles from the Ave and complete
substantial pedestrian improvements between NE 45th Street
and NE 42nd Street.
24. Route buses onto Brooklyn Avenue NE to improve transit
reliability, transfers, and pedestrian movement on NE 43rd Street
and/or University Way NE.
25. Complete Brooklyn Avenue Green Street improvements with
northbound protected bike lane south of NE 43rd Street and
north of NE 45th Street, extensive landscaping, and compatibility
with buses.
A vision for the Ave’s future.

Introduction
Background
As home to the University of Washington, the second largest business
district in the City, and several important museums, performance
venues, and an active residential community, the U District is a
critically important part of Seattle’s “innovation economy”, ethnic
diversity, small business opportunities, and cultural life. With the
possible exception of Downtown, the U District also features the
most complex and challenging multimodal network of transportation
systems in the City. This complexity is magnified by the uncertain
effects of projected growth, evolving human behavior patterns, and
technological advances.
The District’s prominent role in the region and the complexity of

its transportation systems will take a substantial leap when the U
District light rail station opens in 2021 adjacent to the intersection Figure 3. Growth in residential units.
of Brooklyn Avenue NE and NE 43rd Street. This much anticipated Source: U District Rezone Proposal EIS.
extension of the light rail line will transform how people get around
the surrounding neighborhood, is projected to serve between 22,000
and 26,000 riders daily by 2042, and spur the restructuring of the
area’s bus service. Additionally, with recent zoning updates, the
area’s residential population is expected to add 5,000 new housing
units in the next 10 years, and the University of Washington plans
its student and staff population to grow by about 20% in 20 years.
These trends will add substantially to the District’s already high
pedestrian volumes, numerous transit routes, and congested streets.
Faced with these projections, the U District Mobility Group (UDMG),
consisting of a volunteer group of residents, small business owners,
and representatives from institutions in the neighborhood including
the University of Washington and Seattle Children's, initiated this
study to improve access and circulation within the station area.
With funds raised by UDMG members supplementing a Seattle Figure 4. Job growth figures in the U
Department of Neighborhoods' Neighborhood Matching Fund grant District excluding UW increases.
to provide outreach materials, press releases, news stories and Source: U District Rezone Proposal EIS.
project related activities, the plan emphasized extensive community
outreach and engagement with residents, businesses, and the
INTRODUCTION 9
University of Washington. The UDMG hired a consultant team to
provide technical support and guidance, as well as assist with the
public engagement effort. The project’s geographic focus is indicated
in Figure 6, but recognizes that changes in transit systems outside the
study area will influence conditions in the District. The work builds
upon existing plans, frameworks, and investigations, such as the U
District Urban Design Framework, U District Parks Plan Update, U
District Alley Activation Plan, Sound Transit’s U District Station permit
set, and recently adopted City and county modal plans, among others.
The UDMG/consultant team (planning team) actively collaborated
with the City and transit agencies through a series of “Strategy
Group” work sessions that included representatives from the Seattle
Department of Transportation, King County Metro, and Sound Transit,
among other participants. Although the project schedule and budget
limited the amount of technical and analytical work that could be
performed, the planning team was able to explore potential solutions
to pressing challenges in the project area.
Project Purpose
This study’s overarching purpose is to identify the University District
community’s vision, goals, and preferences regarding mobility
improvements that will occur in the near-term and long-term future.
The plan recognizes that decisions regarding street design, transit
routing, and other transportation improvements will be made over
time and will be influenced by a number of technical, institutional,
and political concerns. However, the results of this project will
assist the community in playing a stronger and more meaningful
role in making those decisions. Additionally, the study describes a
comprehensive circulation vision for the District with a rational and
flexible strategy for achieving the community’s goals. This strategy
will enable community members to continue to work collaboratively
with the City and transit agencies as the District and its supporting
infrastructure change dramatically over time.
More specifically, the project aims to achieve the following

objectives:
• Create safe, comfortable, reliable access to light rail and buses.
• Prioritize walking, biking, and transit near the station.
• Construct an efficient and attractive network of movement
through and throughout the U District for every mode.
• Transform right-of-way into active, public open space in the heart
of the U District.

• Ensure bus routes have reliable access and convenient transfers.
• Accommodate people of all abilities.
• Maintain short-term car and truck access where most needed and
at safe speeds.
• Accommodate the access needs of local businesses.
• Provide a safe and inviting “public realm” consisting of streets
and open spaces.
• Foster collaboration between the community and stakeholders to
achieve an integrated and comprehensive approach to mobility
improvements in the District.
Report Contents
This document includes:
• A summary of existing conditions to orient the reader and present
information useful in understanding the District’s mobility
challenges as well as the plan’s concept and recommendations.
• A description of the planning process with a summary of public
engagement activities and their results.
• A brief summary of the project’s background and objectives.
• The long-term circulation concept that describes the desired
long-term outcomes, the interrelationships between the
individual mobility improvement actions, and the implementation
strategies to achieve community objectives.
• Descriptions of conceptual street designs and other mobility
proposals.
• A compiled list of recommendations.
• Appendices containing more detailed results of public
engagement activities and existing conditions analyses.
INTRODUCTION 11
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Existing Conditions and Projections
The map at Figure 6 (next page) summarizes existing transportation

challenges, vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian volume, and transit
facilities. The discussion following describes existing and projected
conditions with respect to specific modes. Additional information is
located in the appendices.
Pedestrian Circulation
The U District features some of the heaviest
walking traffic in the City. Pedestrian circulation in
the study area is supported by a well-connected
street grid with mostly adequate sidewalks,
crosswalks, and traffic signals. Important
destinations include the UW campus, residences to
the north, west, south, and north east of campus,
and the shopping district of the Ave. Important
barriers to pedestrian movement are arterial
streets, especially NE 45th Street, which bisects the
District, and I-5.
• University Way NE (“the Ave”) is the principal Figure 5. Typical conditions on University Way NE (the Ave).
pedestrian route in the study area. It carries

14,000 pedestrians on a typical day, equivalent to 1st Avenue in
downtown Seattle. 2Sidewalks are 11’ wide with extensions to 18’
at bus stops. Marked crosswalks, mid-block crossings, and street
amenities create a generally comfortable and safe pedestrian
environment. However, expected residential and employment
growth will likely push sidewalks beyond their capacity.
• NE 43rd Street carries about one third as much pedestrian traffic
as the Ave, while Brooklyn and 15th Avenue each carry about one
fifth. With 11,000-13,000 light rail boardings per day by 2042
and increased development, these volumes are likely to rise
substantially.
• NE 45th Street is a major arterial that interrupts pedestrian traffic
along the Ave and other north-south streets. Long wait times
Pedestrian counts circa 2012. https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/
2
OPCD/OngoingInitiatives/UDistrictUrbanDesign/PedestrianCountsinUDistrict.pdf
ExISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS 13

Figure 6. Existing conditions.

for signal changes, narrow sidewalks, and heavy vehicle traffic
create a generally uncomfortable, and at times unsafe, pedestrian
environment. NE 45th Street provides an important pedestrian
crossing of I-5, however complicated turning movements,
multiple street crossings, and high traffic speeds make this
crossing difficult.
• Other arterial streets 15th Avenue, Roosevelt Way NE, 11th
Avenue NE, and to a lesser extent, Campus Parkway, also interrupt
pedestrian movement with heavy vehicle traffic and/or long wait
times for crossings at signalized intersections.
A spring 2018 study conducted by UW students in Dr. Rachel

Berney’s Pedestrian Studies seminar performed pedestrian counts
along the length of the Ave and on 43rd and 45th Streets. Their
findings confirmed past counts showing the most intense pedestrian
traffic on the Ave between 45th Street and 42nd Street.
Safety
Despite the high pedestrian volumes on the Ave, most collisions
involving pedestrians occur on other streets, especially NE 45th Figure 8. Pedestrian-oriented volumes
Street. counted by UW urban design and
planning class in Spring 2018.
• Traffic collisions involving pedestrians are a regular occurrence
on 45th Street at intersections with Roosevelt Way NE, 15th
Avenue NE, and Brooklyn Avenue NE where large numbers of
turning vehicles, driveways, and short crossing intervals increase
the potential for conflicts between motorists and people walking.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Analysis (BPSA) completed in
2016 identified these three intersections among the top 20 most
challenging for pedestrians in the entire city.
• Traffic safety is also an issue in the south-west edge of the
study area where Roosevelt Way, 11th Avenue, and NE Campus
Parkway converge near the University Bridge. Complicated street Figure 7. Looking west at NE 45th
Street and Brooklyn Avenue.
configurations and high-speed traffic increase risk for pedestrians
and cyclists. The latest data analyzed in the BPSA was from 2015.
Since that time design modifications have been made to Campus
Parkway.
Public safety is also a concern in the U District in certain areas where

narcotics dealing and consumption, property crime, and low levels of

violent crime can occur on a regular basis. Police data indicate that
the neighborhood experiences somewhat higher rates of violent and
property crime than the city as a whole, while public perception of
safety on the Ave is also negatively affected by the large homeless
population. Spaces with poor visibility or low levels of activation
such as alleyways and surface parking lots are perceived to be the
most dangerous areas.
Bus Transit
The U District is well served by bus transit. Intra-city, local, and
peak-only regional commuter express buses provide connections for
students, workers, residents, and shoppers to and from the U District.
Fifteenth Avenue NE and NE 45th Street support the heaviest bus
traffic, both with several thousand daily boardings at stops within the
study area.
• Fifteenth Avenue supports ten routes running northbound and
southbound. These include five intra-city routes with up to 60
buses per hour and five eastside commuter routes with 95 buses
per hour during the evening peak.
• Route 44 is the key east-west route serving the U District via NE
45th Street. It provides frequent, all-day connections to Ballard
and Wallingford. However, congestion causes major delays on this
route on 45th Street. Plans to upgrade Route 44 to a RapidRide
line seek to mitigate delays and increase ridership along this
route, providing the primary transfer to the future light rail station
from the west. Eighteen buses per hour currently use 45th Street
during peak periods.
• All day frequent routes such as Route 45 provide service on the
University Way NE, creating a secondary transit street in the U
District with 23 buses per hour during peak periods. While direct
bus access to the Ave is convenient for riders, the noise and
exhaust of diesel coaches serving these routes discourage street
activity.
• Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Avenue NE form a transit couplet
for north-south routes crossing University Bridge. These routes
will provide a direct transfer to the light rail at the Northgate and
Roosevelt light rail stations when they open in 2021 and will
likely not need to serve U District Station directly.
Upon the opening of the U District station in 2021, bus to light rail

BUSES PER HOUR EASTSIDE EASTSIDE BUSES
STREET LOCAL ROUTES
(PEAK) ROUTES PER HOUR (PEAK)
197, 167, 271, 556,
15th Avenue NE 43, 44, 48, 49, 70 60 95
586
NE 45th Street 49, 44 18 N/A N/A
University Way NE
45, 71, 73, 373 23 N/A N/A
(the Ave)
The buses-per-hour volumes noted above represent a general average. Bus frequencies can fluctuate.
transfers will be a major component of the transit system in this

neighborhood. The most important routes for transfers will be those
serving areas to the west, east, and south which will have no other
direct transfers to Northgate, Roosevelt, or UW (Stadium) stations.
While bus routing through the U District will be analyzed and
determined in Metro’s route planning that begins in 2019, it appears
that substantial increases in bus traffic may occur.
Future Light Rail Transit

The U District Station along with Roosevelt and Northgate stations
will open in 2021 with the inauguration of the Northgate Link light
rail extension. Service to downtown will take eight minutes, while
service to Northgate will take just five minutes. Sound Transit projects
that by 2042, 11,000-13,000 people per day will board light rail
trains at U District station. By comparison, in the first quarter of 2018,
Figure 9. U District station site plan.

Capitol Hill station saw 7,500 daily light rail boardings.
Trains will arrive every six minutes from both directions during peak
periods, at which time approximately 50-75 passengers will exit the
station onto 43rd Street and Brooklyn Avenue roughly every three
minutes.
Vehicle Traffic
The heart of the U District neighborhood is surrounded by arterial
streets. (Figure 6 graphically depicts average weekday traffic counts.)
• The most heavily traveled street is NE 45th Street which
carries more than 33,000 vehicles per day and connects to I-5,
Wallingford, University Village, and Sand Point Way.
• Roosevelt Way and 11th Avenue combine to carry 20,000
vehicles north-south.
• 15th Avenue supports 17,000 vehicles daily in addition to heavy
bus traffic.
• Pacific Street, on the southern edge of the U District, carries
approximately 20,000 vehicles per day.
Vehicle traffic in the core of the neighborhood is low by comparison.

• The Ave and Campus Parkway carry approximately 4,500 and
4,000 daily vehicles respectively.
• Traffic is minimal on neighborhood streets, however, access to
businesses and other activities is important.
North of 45th Street, the neighborhood is crossed by minor arterials

at NE 47th and NE 50th Street. The latter carries more than 20,000
vehicles daily and connects to I-5 access ramps.
Bicycle Facilities
Several different types of bicycle facilities are present on U District
streets:
• A one-way protected bike lane is in place on Roosevelt Way NE
(southbound), NE Campus Parkway between Brooklyn Avenue NE
and Roosevelt Way, and on one block of Brooklyn Avenue south
of Campus Parkway.
• There are traditional painted bike lanes on 11th Avenue NE,
University Way NE south of Campus Parkway, and on Brooklyn

between Campus Parkway and NE 41st Street.
• 12th Avenue NE is a Neighborhood Greenway,
a neighborhood street that is programmed with
traffic calming devices to create a low-stress
environment for cycling.
• Sharrows have been painted on 45th Street,
University Way, and 7th Avenue north of 45th
Street to encourage drivers to share road space
with cyclists.
In addition, the Bicycle Master Plan calls for

additional bicycle facilities for a number of streets,
including:
• A Green Street is planned for Brooklyn Avenue
NE with northbound (uphill) bike lanes. In the
area of the future light rail station, the bike
lane would be elevated and run flush with the
sidewalk.
• A northbound protected bike lane on 11th
Avenue NE is planned to complete a two-way
couplet with Roosevelt Way.
• A Neighborhood Greenway is planned for
NE 47th Street to connect with an as of yet
Figure 10. Protected bike lanes on NE Campus Parkway and on
unfunded bike/ped bridge over I-5. Roosevelt Avenue NE.
• Sharrows are planned for NE 43rd Street.
• A protected bike lane has been planned for 15th Avenue NE,
however the level of bus traffic and Right-of-Way limitations may
make this proposal unfeasible.
Parking
On-street and off-street parking in the U District serves several
distinct types of users, including:
• People visiting the District for food, shopping, appointments, or
entertainment use hourly parking. Typically, these spaces are
provided by on-street metered parking and in privately operated
surface lots. Many of the District’s signature businesses and
attractions draw on, and in some cases depend on, a regional
clientele who arrive by car.
• UW employees and other workers who drive require long-term parking

during the day, and often use permitted parking systems. Most of this
capacity is provided by UW in surface or structured parking.
• Some U District residents require long-term parking, which must
be available 24/7, but is mostly used at night. These spaces tend
to be provided by surface lots or underground garages in new
development.
The arrival of the light rail and new development are likely to
transform parking conditions in the U District in several ways:
• Privately owned surface lots that provide short-term parking for
shoppers and the Ave patrons will redevelop into residential and
commercial buildings.
• Residents of surrounding neighborhoods will wish to park near
the light rail station to travel elsewhere using the light rail,
increasing demand for daily and hourly parking, potentially
raising prices and/or decreasing availability.
• As new light rail lines open (Bellevue in 2023 and Lynnwood in
2024), increasing numbers of workers who currently drive will
have the ability to commute to the U District by rail.
• New residential development will increase the need for long-
term, overnight parking even as a smaller proportion of residents
rely on personal cars for transportation.
Figure 11. The U District includes many regional attractions including businesses
such as the University Bookstore, theaters, the Farmers Market, the Burke and Henry
Museums, and University of Washington performance venues. While transit may
improve access for some, many people will still rely on automobiles to reach the
District. Likewise, regionally based businesses will still rely on parking, at least for
the foreseeable future.

Additionally, recent legislation passed by Seattle City Council
reformed parking rules in the City. These changes include:
• “Flexible-use parking” rules allowing owners of parking garages in
residential or commercial developments to market extra parking
spaces to outside users.
• New residential developments within ¼ mile walking distance of
frequent transit (including frequent bus transit) are not required
to build on-site parking.
Delivery and Business Access

Retail business operations require daily access for delivery of
bulk supplies by truck. At present, deliveries to businesses on the
Ave occur in loading zones or in alleys. Street deliveries require
significant roadway space and can disrupt traffic (especially trolley-
bus traffic with fixed routes) and create unsafe situations for
pedestrians and cyclists. However, alley deliveries can be problematic
due to narrow rights-of-way, obstructions including dumpsters, and
the presence of pedestrians.
In addition to bulk deliveries, many retail businesses also send

out deliveries of hot food or other products to customers. These
deliveries have become more common with the advent of web-based
services like UberEats and Grubhub and are typically conveyed in
private automobiles, though bicycles or scooters are also used.
Rideshare services now supplement taxis in providing direct access

to businesses for customers. These operations tend to increase traffic
volumes and require short-term pick-up and drop-off space.
Development Context
In February 2017, Seattle City Council passed a major upzone of the
U District to increase development capacity in anticipation of light
rail service.

• Height limits in the core of the District increased from 65’ to 240’
and 320’ on some blocks.
• Other areas were rezoned from low-rise to mid-rise.
• Building height on the Ave is limited to 65’ in order to maintain a
more intimate scale relationship with the 60’ right-
of-way and protect legacy businesses by slowing
redevelopment. The City is currently considering
increasing the height limit along the Ave, which
was left out of the 2017 rezone.
• The upzone increased overall development
capacity3 of the neighborhood by approximately
6,000 housing units and 8,000 jobs.
Figure 12. Planned (pink) and potential (red) high-rise

development that will likely take advantage of relaxed height
restrictions in the core of the U District
Source: David Boynton.
U DISTRICT HOUSING UNITS POPULATION JOBS
20174 8,406 19,500 6,158
Development
Capacity Pre- 11,300 9,900
Rezone
2035 Projection
12,900 31,000 11,000
with Rezone5
Development
Capacity with 17,700 17,800
Rezone
3
Development capacity represents a theoretical maximum level of development
possible if all buildable parcels were redeveloped to the legally allowable limit. This
figure should not be construed as a likely outcome.
3
Estimated based on housing unit quantity. The average size of households in
the University Community Urban Center was 2.32 according to the 2015 Seattle
Comprehensive Plan Land Use Appendix.
4
City of Seattle Urban Center/Village Growth Report, 1st Quarter 2018.
5
City of Seattle Final Environmental Impact Statement for the U District Urban
Design Alternatives, 2015.

Planning Process
Overview
This plan is the result of a six-month process with the goal of
coordinating major investments in public infrastructure with the
broad desires of the community. Much of the work was accomplished
through work sessions with the UDMG community volunteers and the
consultants in a “Working Group”, also referred to as the “planning
team”. During each step, the team met with SDOT and transit agency
staff among other stakeholders, referred to as the “Strategy Group”.
Because this study is intended to represent a community vision,

ensuring broad, effective, and meaningful public input was critical.
Therefore, much of the planning team’s effort focused on public
outreach, communication, and engagement. The UDMG undertook
a broad and inclusive engagement campaign with the U District
community, including:
• Three public workshops with an average of 50 attendees each
• Three online web surveys with a combined total of 880 responses
• Presentations at community meetings and events
• Briefings for the Seattle Transit and Pedestrian Advisory Boards
• An interactive booth at the U District Street Fair where more than
1,300 votes on alternative scenarios were cast
• In-depth interviews with community leaders and local
stakeholders including businesses, the University, and other
institutions and organizations
• A design charrette with experts, policy makers, and regional
stakeholders
• Several meetings with the Strategy Group composed of King
County Metro, SDOT, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Commute
Seattle, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, and City Council
• Some meeting materials were offered in the following languages:
Chinese, Thai, Korean, and Arabic
PLANNING PROCESS 23
This engagement provided a range of opportunities for public
participation with outreach to reach a broad and diverse audience,
ensuring that the plan outcomes reflect the values and desires of the
U District neighborhood.
The highlights of this process are summarized in the graphic and

narrative on the following pages.
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

1. Needs assessment and opportunities 2. Project ideas evaluation 3. Design concepts 4. Finalize project concepts
Review outreach strategy
Early outreach
meetings UW briefing
Survey 1: basic goals
1 Identify priority goals
Review network scenarios
Survey 2: evaluate scenarios
2 Evaluate network scenarios
Brief transit and pedestrian

advisory boards
Identify street design options with staff
Meetings with Bookstore,

small businesses, and UW
Technical review with SDOT
Booth at street fair
Planning team Targeted events

Review
meeting 3
recommendations
Online survey
Planning team
Design charrette Survey #3: review
meeting with SDOT
with SDOT & design options
& transit agency staff
agencies
Public workshop
Task
Figure 13. Public engagement activities.

Phase 1: Needs Assessment and Opportunities
Identification
Before beginning work, the planning team and Strategy Group
developed an engagement strategy to ensure that all relevant
stakeholder groups were represented in the Mobility Plan
engagement. The approach emphasized using diverse methods to
reach as many segments of the public as possible. Broad outreach
activities were designed to allow participation across many
demographic and interest groups, while focused involvement
activities would ensure rich information exchange and critical
feedback.
Figure 14 illustrates how the range of engagement was selected to

achieve both broad range and focused public input.
Figure 14. Diagram of engagement activities illustrating those that reached a broad
spectrum of participating and those that encouraged more focused involvement.
With the engagement strategy in place, the first round of work

involved communicating to the public the broad picture of mobility
in the U District and identifying community priorities related to
the opening of light rail in 2021. A thorough review of past plans
and reports followed by sessions with Strategy Group partners
established an understanding of the baseline conditions and
identified the key issues resulting from the most profound changes
and growth expected in years to come.
PLANNING PROCESS 25
An initial online survey with 311 respondents and the first
Community Workshop with 36 participants revealed strong
support for transit, walking, and biking as transportation modes in
the neighborhood with an emphasis on the importance of quick,
convenient transfers between bus and light rail, safe and comfortable
walking environments for pedestrians, a pedestrian oriented Ave,
emphasis on NE 43rd Street, and alleys and buffering between
cyclists and cars.
Figure 16. Community Workshop 1.
Phase 2: Project Ideas Evaluation

Based on public input, the planning team put together a trio of
potential scenarios exploring mobility in the future U District with
inputs and feedback from the Strategy Group. Each of the three
scenarios emphasized transformation and development of a different
one of the key streets around the future station: Brooklyn Avenue
NE, the Ave, and NE 43rd Street. These scenarios were presented
at the second public workshop, in an online survey, and through
an interactive exhibit (with ping-pong ball voting) at the U District
Streetfair in May. Each engagement event served to gauge public
reactions to the scenarios and gather input for further refinement.
The UDMG received more than 1,760 responses during this phase.
Overall, the public expressed broad support for Scenario 2 that
envisioned a pedestrianized Ave with transit service along Brooklyn.
Support for the bold changes laid out in Scenario 2 are indicative of
the strong desire for a safe, comfortable walking environment and
convenient bus-to-train transfers expressed during the first phase of
Figure 15. Part of the results from the project.
Public Workshop #2.
The planning team also briefed the City’s Transit and Pedestrian
Advisory boards, who provided general support for the plan and
approach. However, the Transit Advisory Board expressed concern
about the construction time penalty associated with changes
to existing street designs for Brooklyn and instead supported a
pedestrian and transit mall along the Ave.
To close this phase, the team convened Community Workshop 2

for participants to discuss options and register their preferences
regarding the different alternatives. Working in small groups,
participants identified positive and negative aspects of each
alternative. The collective results pointed to preferences for a
pedestrian-oriented Ave, direct bus-light rail transfers, a pedestrian-

oriented NE 43rd Street with some west-bound buses if the turning
movements do not hamper other circulation, and better pedestrian
crossings across NE 45th Street. It was acknowledged that 15th
Avenue NE would necessarily be transit-oriented. There was no
consensus regarding the configuration of Brooklyn Avenue NE, but
many favored buses and removal of the protected bicycle lane
between 43rd and 45th. There was not much support for the City’s
designation of Brooklyn as a Green Street, although not much
opposition either. One idea that did emerge was a one-way bus loop Figure 17. U District Streetfair booth.
traveling northbound on Brooklyn and southbound on the Ave.
Phase 3: Design Concepts

Using Scenario 2 as a foundation, the UDMG team drafted sketch
plans for University Way, 43rd and Brooklyn, as well as a few ideas
for 45th and other connections in the District. The team reviewed
these sketch plans in small focus group meetings with business
owners and applicable University of Washington staff to identify any
concerns and ideas. The team then conducted a design “charrette” Figure 18. Interagency/community
work session with a number of staff members from SDOT and other member charrette to review and refine
sketch street design concepts.
City departments, Metro, Sound Transit, and transportation-oriented
organizations to make sure that the ideas were workable and
consistent with other plans. Seattle Councilmember Rob Johnson and
King County Councilmember Larry Gossett’s staff also attended the
session.
After this technical vetting, the street design concepts were refined
and discussed further with SDOT staff. The resulting planning
concept described in this plan includes recommendations and
implementation steps for a pedestrianized Ave and 43rd Street,
transit routing on Brooklyn Ave, and optimized east-west connections Figure 19. Community Workshop 3
for bicycles and transit to the station area. These were presented
to the public in Community Workshop 3 which drew more than
85 participants and online survey. In both venues, participants
expressed support for the vision and submitted additional ideas
for clearer communication and more effective implementation of
plan elements. Two areas that most concerned survey participants
were station accessibility for people with limited mobility and the
quality and ease-of-use of bicycle facilities. Feedback from survey
participants and a final round of strategy group meetings refined,
clarified, and strengthened the final recommendations which are
presented in this report.
Documentation of the individual steps can be found at Appendix B.
PLANNING PROCESS 27

Long-Term Circulation Concept
The U District’s Long-Term Circulation Concept is a planning

framework and tool for the U District community, the City of Seattle,
and transit agencies to use in making decisions about the District’s
transportation and access improvements. The Concept presents a
comprehensive multi-modal strategy to address transportation and
access needs in the U District as the community is transformed by
the light rail station (arriving in 2021), changing bus service and
envisioned development. In preparing this Concept, the community
acknowledges that:
• Decisions will be made by multiple agencies over time,
• There are a number of questions, uncertainties, and technical
issues that are impossible to foresee at this time which may
influence future decisions, and
• There are actions, trends, and conditions emerging both inside
and outside the U District that may affect future decisions.
• The community will continue to participate in the process.
The Concept also illustrates the community’s aspirations for a

transportation network that adds to the District’s economic vitality
and livability and serves the local businesses and institutions –
especially the University. Given the number of uncertainties in
future conditions and the complexity of transportation, business
enhancement, and community development issues in the District,
the ideas and actions summarized as follows are intended to
be conceptual in nature and their implementation must remain
sufficiently flexible to account for unforeseen events and conditions.
The Concept is driven by several considerations arising from the

existing and projected conditions analysis and public input. Because
pedestrian movement is essential to connecting various modes and
destinations, and because buses are the most important surface
vehicle mode, these modes receive top priority. Because the District
is a regional destination and many businesses and civic attractions
depend on vehicle access, short-term parking, and delivery space,
it is necessary to accommodate delivery vehicles and private and
rideshare automobiles.
PLANNING PROCESS 29
Throughout the public engagement process, community participants
voiced a clear desire for more public space. Since the City has
substantially upzoned the District without providing adequate
park or public realm facilities, it is critical for the life of the District
that the streets, particularly the Ave and NE 43rd Street, partially
fulfill that need. Therefore, the Concept envisions these streets to
feature less vehicle traffic and increased pedestrian amenity over
time. Because the District’s many small businesses are essential to
its vitality, care must be taken to ensure that circulation changes
enhance, rather than diminish, business viability. Finally, conditions
will change dramatically and the circulation system will need to be
adaptable over time, the Concept emphasizes flexibility in terms of
street design, bus routing, and vehicle access.
Street Use by Mode

11th Ave
12th Ave Pedestrian-priority

(service and emergency
vehicles only)
Bicycles
NE 45th St
Buses Near Term
Buses Long Term
Private Vehciles
NE 43rd St NE 43rd St
Roosevelt Way NE
Other Elements
University Way NE
Brooklyn Ave NE
Development coordinated
UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON
to provide access and

NE 42nd St internal circulation
Parking Reservoir
NE 41st St
NE Campus Pkwy
Figure 20. Long-term circulation Concept.
The Concept’s primary elements include:

• Giving top priority to pedestrians in the areas between NE 45th
Street, 15th Avenue NE, NE 42nd Street, and Brooklyn Avenue NE.
• Addressing the needs of all transportation modes.
• Prioritizing bus service as the most important surface vehicular
mode.
• Providing convenient access and transfers to the light rail station.

• Improving east-west bus, bicycle, and pedestrian access to the
District, especially along NE 45th Street.
• Creating safe, attractive, and inviting streetscapes.
• Providing emergency vehicle access and adequate delivery,
loading, and unloading access to businesses.
• Minimizing impacts (e.g. bus layovers, exhaust, and noise) to the
community, including the University of Washington.
• Considering how this station area/transit hub fits within the larger
light rail and bus network.
The vision the Concept represents is ambitious. To achieve the

objectives the Concept illustrates will require a phased strategy of
actions. The most important of these are listed as follows. The time
frames indicated are conjectural, except for the near-term period up
to 2021.
Phase 1: Before Light Rail Station Opening in 2021

ACTIONS
• Prepare a U District Shared Mobility Hub Plan that analyzes key
intersections, informs the Metro Transit route planning (to be
initiated in 2019), provides the necessary information for street
design, includes a parking strategy, provides for pedestrian
needs, incorporates bicycle facilities objectives, and identifies
measures to provide access to the station and key activities (e.g.:
small businesses, the UW, the U Bookstore, etc.). (SDOT)
• Design NE 43rd Street improvements to support future
pedestrian volumes and, if bus routing is absolutely necessary,
transit routing (SDOT with community input)
• Ensure that there will be adequate on-street and off-street short-
term parking for businesses. (Community)
• Enhance homelessness and street dependency social services
as well as public realm maintenance and management to ensure
compassionate measures are taken and enhanced pedestrian
areas are safe and attractive. (City and community)
• Use the U District as one of the pilot areas for upcoming SDOT
wayfinding plan. (SDOT)
• Construct protected bike lane on 11th Ave NE as part of Roosevelt
RapidRide. (SDOT)
• Prioritize and improve key pedestrian crossings of NE 45th Street
PLANNING PROCESS 31
through signal timing, improved crosswalks, turn restrictions, and
other measures. (SDOT)
• Explore opportunities to increase speed and reliability on an
east-west transit route on NE 45th Street when RapidRide
planning begins in 2019-2020.
• Begin collaborative planning of development between NE 45th
Street, 15th Ave NE, NE 42nd Street, and Brooklyn Avenue NE to
capitalize on circulation, provision of infrastructure and services
(utilities, etc.), and development opportunities. (Property owners,
City, community)
OUTCOMES
• Light rail station opens.
• Bus route and layover changes are made to facilitate bus/light rail
transfers.
• Northbound protected bike lane on 11th Ave NE provides safe
bicycle route through the U District.
• Improved wayfinding throughout U District.
• Improved safety, security, and street civility in the U District.
Phase 2: Near-Term Improvements and Interim

Solutions (2021-2028)
ACTIONS
• Construct NE 43rd Street design (SDOT). Some buses may be
routed westbound on 43rd.
• Electrify buses on the Ave. (Metro)
• Construct first phase of Ave improvements. (SDOT, property, and
business owners)
• Initiate construction of I-5 crossing and east-west bike routes.
(SDOT)
• Develop parking garages to replace lost surface parking.
(Community, property, and business owners)
OUTCOMES
• The Ave becomes more pedestrian friendly with some
improvements.
• NE 43rd Street becomes a lively pedestrian route with the
potential for westbound transit connections.

• Reduced on-street parking on the Ave and convenient parking
garages are built on the perimeter of the core District.
• Street and access improvements are constructed with new
development. (e.g.: Green Street improvements on Brooklyn and
more efficient vehicle access for the University Bookstore.)
• Improved east-west bicycle connections.
• Improved east-west transit connections.
Phase 3: Long-Term Vision (2028+)

ACTIONS
• Remove buses and private vehicles from the Ave and complete
substantial pedestrian improvements.
• Reroute buses on 43rd to Brooklyn.
• Complete Brooklyn Green Street improvements supporting bus
access.
• Construct improvements on the Ave between NE 50th and Cowen
Park.
OUTCOMES
• The Ave becomes a pedestrian street and a regional attraction,
celebrated for its lively and engaging walking environment.
• Improvements on the District’s periphery (e.g.: University Way
north of NE 50th Street and near the University Bridge) enhance
connections to neighboring communities.
PLANNING PROCESS 33

Conceptual Street Designs and Other
Mobility Proposals
KEY STREETS
University Way (the Ave) — 36
NE 43rd Street — 42
Brooklyn Avenue NE — 46
OTHER PROJECTS
Improve Pedestrian and Transit Conditions on NE 45th Street — 51
East-West Bicycle Route and Pedestrian/Bicycle Crossing Over I-5 — 52
Circulation in Alleys and Mid-Block Passages — 53
Vehicular Circulation Near University Bridge and NE 40th Street Split — 54
Farmers Market and Promenade on the Ave to Cowen Park — 55
CONCEPTUAL STREET DESIGNS AND OTHER MOBILITY PROPOSALS 35

UNIVERSITY WAY (THE AVE)
Summary Overview
The Ave is the District’s signature “main street” – the focus of
business activities and public life. In all of this project’s public
engagement activities, enhancement of the Ave as the District’s
pedestrian-oriented focus was the dominant value expressed by
Figure 22. Existing parklet and community members. For some, this means gradually increasing the
pedestrian space on the Ave. roadway space allocated to pedestrians and minimizing vehicular
traffic. However, many look forward to full pedestrianization of the
Ave with all but essential vehicles prohibited and the right-of-way
turned over to pedestrians and bicycles.
CURRENT SDOT
CLASSIFICATIONS
• Street Type: Urban Village
Neighborhood
• Street Classification:
Collector Arterial
• Transit Classification: Major
Transit Route
Figure 21. Current conditions on the Ave.

This transformation to a full pedestrian street will require many
challenging steps, including the provision of short-term parking
garages to replace the current parking inventory, a substantial
public space management program to ensure that the street remains
safe, clean, and inviting, significant roadway reconstruction, and an
assertive business support and property redevelopment effort to
adjust to the new circulation configuration.
Therefore, this plan emphasizes a phased approach to creating a

lively community gathering space, an important regional attraction,
and an appropriate “welcome mat” for the University. Given the
complexity of transportation challenges and opportunities, and the
uncertainties regarding growth in the U District, the phased program
described here may change substantially to adapt to emerging
conditions.
OBJECTIVES
• Maintain the Ave as the District’s primary pedestrian and business
focus.
• Provide for the needs of businesses.
• Create an attractive and welcoming setting for activity.
• Maintain a safe, civil, and inviting street culture.
• Remove unnecessary vehicle traffic.
Short and Mid-Term Directions (2018-2024)

The focus of this first phase is to undertake improvements that calm
and reduce traffic and prepare for further vehicle reductions in the
future. These may include revising the signalization of intersections,
adding traffic calming measures, and improving pedestrian amenities.
Addressing short-term parking needs (e.g.: two hour parking) will
be important if on-street parking is reduced. Pedestrian needs and
circulation patterns should be re-examined shortly after the light
rail station is opened in 2021. A public realm management program
to ensure a safe and attractive pedestrian environment will be
necessary. The University District Parks and Open Space Plan includes
more specific recommendations for initiating such a program. Once
these measures are in place, removal of some on-street parking
and more extensive street closure events can take place. Because
the noise and fumes from diesel buses discourage outdoor eating
and other passive activities, the removal or electrification of buses
should also occur during this phase. However, some businesses have
PLANNING PROCESS 37
expressed concern that loss of buses on the Ave would hurt their
businesses. Another transit routing option to consider is a one way
loop system with buses heading north on Brooklyn and south on the
Ave.
PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION MODES:

• Priority: Pedestrians.
• Also: Buses, bicycles, reduced private vehicles.
ACTIONS:
• Continue to address street dependency and homeless concerns.
Figure 23. Midterm improvements to the Ave.

• Develop and initiate a parking and service delivery strategy that
will serve vehicles on the periphery of the pedestrian core.
• Experiment with temporary closures, etc. that demonstrate the
advantages of pedestrianization.
• Electrify or reroute buses.
• Add parklets and other street amenities.
• Continue to engage business and property owners to identify
their needs. Figure 24. The goal is a comfortable
melting pot that serves as a focus
• Encourage collaborative redevelopment planning to ensure the for activity and social interaction, as
access needs of new development are met. was the case at the 2018 U District
Streetfair.
Long-Term Directions (2024+)

Once the actions of the first phases are substantially accomplished,
full pedestrianization of the Ave can begin. The concept advanced
here is for a pedestrian mall with very limited vehicular traffic. A 20’
wide access lane (or less, if emergency vehicle access requirements
will allow) with delivery drop-off points for service vehicles must be
maintained for emergency and delivery vehicles, but the rest of the
right-of-way can be allocated to pedestrians. Low speed bicyclists
will also be allowed, but as envisioned here, private vehicle rider
pick-up and drop-off will not be permitted. Given the amount of
pedestrian space, larger outdoor and temporarily enclosed cafés and
bistros may have a place on the Ave. An active collaborative City/
community public realm management program will be necessary to
maintain safety and security.

• Priority: Pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Also: Emergency and service vehicles.
ACTIONS:
• Restrict private vehicles on the Ave.
• Reroute buses to adjacent streets.
• Construct street improvements to complete pedestrianization.
The design should minimize the need for pavement replacement
and expensive drainage and utility modifications.
• Establish a partnership to manage and maintain the space.
PLANNING PROCESS 39
Figure 25. Long-term vision for the Ave.
Figure 26. Long-term vision for fully pedestrianized Ave – conceptual section.

Figure 27. Qualities of a fully pedestrianized Ave.
PLANNING PROCESS 41
NE 43RD STREET
Summary Overview
NE 43rd Street from Brooklyn Avenue NE to 15th Avenue NE will
connect the new light rail station to the Ave, most bus lines, and the
University campus, making it a primary pedestrian connection with
Figure 28. NE 43rd Street. pedestrian volumes of likely over 20,000 people per day. (As noted
earlier, rail transit will produce between 100 and 150 boardings and
alightings per train at peak times. See the Existing Conditions and
Projections section). Based on conservative figures, it appears that
SDOT STREET these pulses in pedestrian traffic, accompanied by general increases
CLASSIFICATION in pedestrian movement due to future development, will require a
combined effective walkway width of at least 40’ on NE 43rd Street
• Street Type: Urban village
for comfortable pedestrian movement.
neighborhood.
• Street Classification: Although King County Metro will not begin route planning in the
Collector arterial. U District until 2019, there is an informal proposal to potentially
route the number 44, 48, and 49 bus lines from northbound 15th
• Transit Classification: Not
Avenue NE, westbound along NE 43rd Street with a stop at the light
designated.
rail station, and then northbound on 12th Avenue NE with layover
in front of the UW garage. The community has expressed a strong
preference for NE 43rd Street to be pedestrian priority. However,
routing a maximum of two electrified bus lines along NE 43 may be
compatible with a robust and attractive pedestrian environment.
However, there may be difficulties with routing buses along NE 43rd
Street. For example, the intersection at NE 43rd and 15th will also
need to accommodate the University Bookstore parking entrance
and high pedestrian volumes. Similarly, the intersection at University
Way NE and NE 43rd may become a barrier because autos exiting
the Bookstore turning onto the Ave will often be obstructed by high
pedestrian volumes. Therefore, in the long-term, bus circulation
along NE 43rd may be undesirable from a transit speed and reliability
perspective.
To accommodate both bus and pedestrian traffic, this plan

recommends that most private vehicles be excluded from NE 43rd
Street, except for emergency and service vehicles, and if necessary,
University Bookstore and other parking facilities. Excluding all

vehicles would be problematic because access
is needed into the alleys and the University
Bookstore parking lot.
One other revision that would facilitate mobility

on NE 43rd is relocating the University Bookstore
parking entrance to 15th Avenue NE between
NE 43rd and NE 45th when redevelopment of
that property occurs. It appears that creating a
northbound left turn pocket is possible on 15th
Avenue NE so that the Bookstore would have good
entry access both north and southbound. Figure 29. Pedestrians emerging from the UW stadium light rail
station in 2018. Pedestrian volumes at the U District station
While there is a strong public preference for will likely be larger.
giving pedestrians top priority and the desire for
direct bus/light rail transfers makes routing some buses westbound
on NE 43rd Street attractive in the short-term, it appears that the
roadway design must be flexible enough to adapt to emerging
needs and conditions over time. Therefore, the recommended street
design features a curbless section with at least a 20’ clear corridor
for emergency vehicles. Drainage may be accomplished through
a conventional crown or draining stormwater toward the south
walkway.
OBJECTIVES
• Accommodate the high volume of pedestrians from the light rail
station and create an attractive pedestrian environment with
ample pedestrian space.
• Accommodate limited bus traffic (in the short-term) and service
vehicles on the street.
• Create an attractive visual and spatial connection between the
UW campus, the ST station, and the community.
• Provide for service vehicles and access to the University
Bookstore parking lot.
PLANNING PROCESS 43
Short-Term Directions (2021-2025)
• Priority: Pedestrians.
• Also: Buses, service vehicles, and west bound University
Bookstore patrons and bicycles.
ACTIONS:
• Analyze intersections at NE 43rd/University Way and 43rd/15th
Avenue NE.
• Design street 2018-19. (SDOT)
• Reconstruct street when Metro strain poles are installed for
electrification.
Figure 31. NE 43rd Street conceptual section looking west.

• Priority: Pedestrians and bicycles.
• Also: Service vehicles.
CONCEPT:
• Similar to short-term but with additional streetscape amenities.
• The University Bookstore vehicle entrance may move to 15th

Avenue NE between NE 43rd and NE 45th Streets.
ACTIONS:
• Review access and modal circulation when the Bookstore
property redevelops.
• Ideally, reroute buses to Brooklyn Avenue NE to facilitate
movement.
Figure 32. Conceptual illustration of NE 43rd Street looking east toward the campus.
PLANNING PROCESS 45
BROOKLYN AVENUE NE
Summary Overview
Brooklyn Avenue NE (Brooklyn) is currently much quieter than the
Ave, both in terms of pedestrian traffic and commercial activity.
But with the new light rail station and projected development, its
complexion is likely to change. From NE 43rd Street to NE 45th Street,
Figure 33. Recent improvements on
station improvements will reconfigure the roadway to encourage
Brooklyn Avenue NE.
private vehicle pick-up and drop-off but will not allow bus circulation
along the station’s most prominent side.
Brooklyn Avenue NE is also designated a Green Street and the

SDOT STREET University of Washington’s improvements south of Campus Parkway
CLASSIFICATION provide a nicely landscaped connection to Sakuma Viewpoint on
• Street Type: Urban village Portage Bay. Although the City has designated Brooklyn as a “Major
neighborhood. Transit Route”, there is no transit service south of NE 50th Street.
While there are no plans to route buses on Brooklyn, it seems likely
• Street Classification:
that as congestion increases on NE 43rd Street, 15th Avenue NE, and
Collector arterial.
the Ave, Brooklyn could provide an faster, more reliable route for
• Transit Classification: Major buses than on those streets, especially since there is already layover
transit route. space on Brooklyn north of NE 50th Street. There have been some
concerns that Brooklyn’s pavements would not stand up to bus traffic.
However, Brooklyn has already been subjected to heavy construction
traffic supporting light rail construction and buses do stop on
Brooklyn north of NE 50th Street.
Given these concerns and uncertainties of transportation conditions

in the District, this plan recommends that Brooklyn be considered as
a potential bus route serving the light rail station during Metro bus
route planning starting in 2019. Also, any improvements to Brooklyn
should provide for the potential for Brooklyn to serve as a bus route
as called for in SDOT’s transit classification designation.
OBJECTIVES
• Provide excellent access to the light rail station, especially for
pedestrians, bus transfers, and cyclists.
• Accommodate multiple modes including buses, pedestrians,
bicycles, and private vehicles.
• Create an accessible pedestrian environment and positive
development by providing an attractive streetscape setting.
• Support a “Green Street” connection to new waterfront park at
the south of Brooklyn.

Short-Term Directions (2018-2021)
Though it seems unusual to build a street in front
of a light rail station that prevents bus transfers, the
current design favoring private vehicles has received
building permits and will soon be under construction.
Therefore, it is not possible at this time to revise it
to a more transit compatible design. However, there
are a number of actions that should be taken in the
next three years, including participating in Metro
King County’s bus route planning to ensure that
community objectives are voiced, exploring options
to improve the pedestrian crossing of NE 45th Street,
and making sure that any street improvements
include paving that will allow bus traffic.
PRIORITY TRANSPORTATION MODES:

• Private vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.
• Private pick-up and drop-off near station. (This Figure 34. Proposed towers to be built near the light rail
station on 12th Avenue NE.
is what will be constructed by Sound Transit,
but priority for private vehicles exacerbates
congestion and is against City policy and
community objectives.)
ACTIONS:
• South of NE 43rd Street, complete bicycle
lane between 41st Street and 43rd Street and
increase landscaping to support Green Street
concept. Street improvements will be constructed
with private development and should not limit
potential for buses in travel lanes.
• Improve intersection at Brooklyn and NE 45th
Street to support pedestrian and bicycles.
• Make adjustments to right-of-way facilities
(including, but not limited to, ramps, sidewalks, Figure 35. Bus layover spaces on Brooklyn Avenue NE.
and signals) to comply with Americans with
Disabilities Act.
• Provide for bicycle parking including dockless bike share or other
short-term uses.
PLANNING PROCESS 47
The recommended design for Brooklyn Avenue NE south of NE 43rd
Street includes a bicycle lane and ample landscaping in support
of the street’s “Green Street” designation. Because Brooklyn has a
70’ right-of-way, there is space for vehicular and bicycle movement
along with ample landscaping. The configuration of planting strip and
landscape area can vary according to locally specific conditions.
Between NE 43rd and NE 45th Streets, the street design should allow
for direct bus to rail transfers. The bicycle lane is not continued on
this block to reduce pedestrian/bicycle collisions. While the station
will be an important destination for cyclists, those traveling through
the area will likely choose the protected bicycle lanes on 11th
Avenue NE and Roosevelt Way NE. The following diagram illustrates
Figure 37. Long-term vision for Brooklyn Ave NE south of NE 43rd Street. The
cross section is very similar to recent improvements except there are sharrows
southbound.
Figure 36. Envisioned street section for Brooklyn Avenue NE between NE 43rd and
NE 45th Streets.

one option for the street, but the connection between the sidewalk
and the station entry could take on one of several configurations.
PRIORITY TRANSPORTATION MODES:

• Priority: Pedestrians, buses, and cyclists.
• Other: Private vehicles.
ACTIONS:
• Reroute appropriate buses to Brooklyn Avenue NE and make
necessary infrastructure improvements.
• Reconstruct streetscape in front of the light rail station to
facilitate transfers and pedestrian access. (This may be done
when the UW develops site over transit stations if the UW tower
is not completed by 2021.)
Figure 38. Envisioned character of Brooklyn Avenue NE.
PLANNING PROCESS 49

Descriptions of Other Projects
Improve Pedestrian and Transit

Conditions on NE 45th Street
There is a pressing need for an east-west transit
connection between Ballard, the U District, and east
to the Sand Point area. Between 2016 and 2017,
Route 44 ridership grew by 12% in a time when
the rest of America saw transit ridership drop by
multiple percentage points. Estimates in the Seattle
Transit Master Plan already anticipated 16,000
daily riders by 2035. Now, with a U District rezone
and 20% growth anticipated at the University
of Washington, ridership is poised to grow even
more. Considering the surge ridership days such
as football games or graduation events, there will
Figure 40. NE 45th Street looking east. Many light rail riders
probably be days when 20,000 people ride Route will cross at this intersection.
44 in the not too distant future, perhaps as soon as
2021 or 2023. This points to the need to identify
ways to facilitate east-west vehicular traffic,
especially buses.
At the same time, many community participants

noted that NE 45th Street is a significant barrier to
pedestrian circulation, especially at 15th Avenue
NE, the Ave, and Brooklyn Avenue NE. While these
vexing challenges will require further study, a few
directions were identified to consider when the
planning and design of NE 45th Street begins.
OBJECTIVES
• Improve pedestrian crossings across NE 45th
Street. Figure 39. NE 45th Street at the I-5 overpass.
• Reduce congestion on NE 45th Street.

• Optimize east-west transit service on NE 45th
Street from Ballard to the Sand Point area in
support of the proposed RapidRide line.
DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER PROJECTS 51

ACTIONS
Within the U District, options seem limited by the constricted right-

of-way and narrow sidewalks. Nevertheless, the following actions are
recommended:
• Limit left turns onto and off of NE 45th Street at selected avenues
to help with signal timing/green time allocation and provide
space for queue jumps at select locations.
• Reallocate right-of-way near I-5 for better bus priority to
circumvent on-ramp traffic.
• Consolidate bus stop consolidation along NE 45th Street outside
of study area (RapidRide standards suggest one stop every half
mile).
• Study the signal timing of NE 45th Street intersections to
optimize movement.
East-West Bicycle Route and Pedestrian/Bicycle

Crossing Over I-5
A safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle route is needed
between Wallingford on the west side of I-5 and the light rail station.
The actions described below are recommended to satisfy this need.
The Bicycle Master Plan calls for the construction of a pedestrian and
bicycle bridge across I-5 at NE 47th Street in the long-term. However,
there is no funding for this project, so near-term improvements at NE
45th Street are recommended.
Figure 41. Proposed pedestrian and bicycle route from Wallingford to the light rail
station and UW.

ACTIONS
• Add a widened, shared use pathway to either side of the NE 45th
Street overpass by eliminating one through lane into Wallingford
(the left lane will be dedicated to left turns onto I-5, which is
already true during rush hour).
• Add a all ages and abilities route to 8th Avenue NE and to NE
43rd Street in the U District to connect NE 45th Street overpass
cyclists to light rail and UW. There is already a planned greenway
from 43rd and Brooklyn to UW.
• In the long-term, pursue the unfunded bridge at NE 47th Street
and associated greenway on 5th Ave NE but do not delay
improvements on NE 45th Street.
Circulation in Alleys and Mid-Block

Passages
The north-south alleys between Roosevelt Way NE
and 15th Avenue NE are critically important for
service to adjacent buildings and make it possible
to focus services away from the main streets. But,
they also can potentially be active pedestrian areas
in themselves if dumpsters and loading areas can
be located within the newly developed buildings.
The City and merchants on the Ave have studied
this possibility in The Activated Alley: A Plan for
the University District’s Alleys. The plan provides
guidelines to encourage new buildings to include Figure 43. Alley between 15th Street and the Ave looking
internal storage and service areas and provide south.
upper story windows overlooking the alley. This

will make the alleys cleaner and safer over time
and encourage some restaurants and cafés to use
the alley for outdoor seating and other activities.
The U District’s blocks are over 500 feet long in

the north-south direction which prevents more
efficient east-west circulation. Therefore east-west
mid-block passages are recommended to provide
better circulation and access to businesses. Such
passages might be open at all times or only during
business hours. The University District Supplemental
Design Guideline PL1.2: Shared Alleys and Mid-
Bock Pedestrian Connections calls for providing
mid-block pedestrian routes on long blocks and Figure 42. A mid-winter party held in the alley between 15th
Avenue NE and the Ave.

activated alleys, shared by vehicles and pedestrians.
OBJECTIVES
• Better utilize alleys for circulation and other activities as well
as solid waste removal and service delivery. This should be
accomplished by requiring new development to locate service
areas for solid waste and deliveries within the building shell and
to provide “eyes on the alley” by including windows facing the
alley and, where feasible, adding building entries from alleys and
making use of alley spaces for outdoor dining and other activities.
• Improve the cleanliness and attractiveness of alleys.
• Provide better east-west pedestrian circulation through mid-block
passages through new development.
ACTIONS
• Continue to implement the District’s Alley Activation program.
• Implement the design guidelines for alleys that call for internal
waste storage and upper level windows for “passive surveillance”
that make alley activities more visible.
• Continue to assertively implement design guidelines/
requirements for new development to provide mid-block
connections and improved alleys.
• Continue to explore ways for businesses to use the alleys more
effectively.
Vehicular Circulation Near University Bridge and NE

40th Street Split
In February 2018 SDOT completed a study of safety issues related
to the University Bridge. Thirty-four crashes involving a pedestrian
or bicyclist occurred between January 2004 and August 2017. Since
24 of these accidents occurred near Fuhrman Avenue E at the south
end of the bridge, the study and recommendations focused on that
intersection. However, that still leaves 10 collisions at the north
end of the bridge. This safety issue, compounded with the general
difficulty of local traffic patterns warrants further study, especially
since Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Avenue NE are important bicycle
and pedestrian routes. Although circulation near the University
Bridge and to the east was a common concern among community
Figure 44. The complex street pattern
participants, this plan did not include the resources to adequately
where 11th Avenue NE and Roosevelt address the issue. A thorough analysis with recommendations for
Way NE split near NE Campus Parkway.

improvement is an important recommended action.
OBJECTIVE
• Facilitate movement of all travel modes in this area which
includes several complex intersections.
ACTION
• Initiate a transportation planning study for this area.
Farmers Market and Promenade on the Ave to Cowen

Park
North of 50th Avenue NE, the Ave’s right-of-way widens to 80’,
offering possibilities for its enhancement into a more vital and
attractive pedestrian connection. Currently, the extra width is
used for angle parking, but as the community grows, an attractive
connection to open space may be more desirable.
OBJECTIVES Figure 45. U District Farmers Market.
• Make better use of the 80’ wide right-of-way on University Way

NE, as opposed to the 60’ right-of-way south of NE 50th Street.
• Connect the Ave’s pedestrian environment to Cowen Park.
• Support the Farmers Market.
ACTION
• Initiate a community-led study to identify a preferred concept for
this stretch of University Way NE.
Figure 46. Cowen Park and University Way NE connection.


Summary of Recommendations
The U District Station Area Mobility Plan will identify the community’s
vision, goals, and preferences regarding mobility improvements
that will occur in the near- and long-term future. The plan describes
a holistic, comprehensive circulation vision for the District with
a rational and flexible strategy for achieving the community’s
goals. This adaptive management approach will enable community
stakeholders to continue to work collaboratively with the City and
transit agencies as the U District and its supporting infrastructure
change dramatically over time.
The recommendations from this study are summarized in the

following chart with some indication of recommended participants,
actions, and estimated time frame for key actions. The term
“community” refers to all those who work, live, and enjoy the U
District. The recommendations are not in a priority order but are
classified in terms of phasing and objectives.
Conditions in the U District will change dramatically with projected

growth, travel patterns, and transportation improvements, including
self-driving vehicles, reliance on rideshare, etc. Additionally,
transportation and development decisions will be made over time by
different agencies, institutions, and entities. Therefore, flexibility will
be required as the recommended improvements are implemented
over time.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 57
PARTICIPANTS
PHASE TOPIC ACTION LEAD OTHER
1. Prepare a U District Shared Mobility Hub Plan that builds on Seattle Community,
GENERAL TRANSPORTATION
this plan, analyzes key intersections, informs the Metro Transit Department of Metro
route planning (to be initiated in 2019), provides the necessary Transportation
information for street design, includes a parking strategy, provides (SDOT)
for pedestrian needs, incorporates bicycle facilities’ objectives,
and identifies measures to provide access to the station and key
activities (e.g.: small businesses, the UW, the University Bookstore,
etc.).
2. Begin Metro bus route planning (2019). Address community Metro SDOT,
concerns including diesel bus impacts to the Ave, congestion at Community
key intersections, adequate street pavements for buses where
needed, impacts of bus layovers, options to layover buses at other
TRANSIT
station areas, service expansion, transfers, and options for buses

on Brooklyn Ave NE.
PHASE 1 - BEFORE 2021
3. Explore opportunities to increase speed and reliability on an Metro SDOT,

east-west transit route through RapidRide planning process. Community
4. Design and construct NE 43rd Street from Brooklyn Avenue SDOT Community,
to 15th Avenue NE improvements to support future pedestrian Businesses
volumes. If necessary, accommodate transit routing as a
temporary measure. Congestion may make this route problematic
and a pedestrian orientation is preferred. Work with adjacent
property owners (especially the University Bookstore) to ensure
access and integrate development with the streetscape. Construct
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
a bike lane west of Brooklyn Avenue NE.
5. Construct a protected bike lane on 11th Avenue NE as part SDOT Community,

of Roosevelt RapidRide. Construct or paint east-west bike Businesses
connections when there are opportunities.
6. Before station opening improve pedestrian crossings of NE 45th SDOT Community

Street within the study area, especially at Brooklyn Ave. Ensure
signal timing prioritizes pedestrian crossing.
7. Establish standards for design and construction of right-of-way Office of Property

improvements on Brooklyn Avenue NE to be implemented as part Planning and owners,
of private or institutional development. Begin first phase of public Community SDOT,
and private construction. (See #20.) Development Community
(OPCD)

PARTICIPANTS
8. Begin a comprehensive parking management strategy to Community, SDOT

identify means to ensure that there will be adequate on-street Businesses
and off-street short-term parking for businesses and those who
require vehicles for access (e.g.: people with limited mobility).
9. Maintain and strengthen homelessness and street dependency Seattle Churches,

social service programs to ensure that compassionate activities Department NGOs,
are provided. of Social Community
and Health
Services
(DSHS)
10. Continue to support and provide resources to a public realm SDOT, Businesses,
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
maintenance and management program to keep pedestrian areas Community Seattle

PHASE 1 - BEFORE 2021
safe and attractive. Parks

Foundation
11. Use the U District as one of the pilot areas for upcoming SDOT SDOT Community
wayfinding plan.
12. Use the U District as one of the pilot areas for upcoming SDOT Businesses, SDOT, SDCI
wayfinding plan. (Community businesses for the alley activation Community
and SDOT, Office of Planning and Community Development,
and Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections for the
development provisions.)
13. Begin collaborative planning of private development between Property OPCD,

NE 45th Street, 15th Avenue NE, NE 42nd Street, and Brooklyn owners Community
Avenue NE to improve circulation, infrastructure, services, and
development opportunities. Consider collaborative access and
parking, alley reconfiguration, east-west pass-throughs, etc. (Note:
recent development in Pike/Pine provides a model.)
14. Monitor and address impacts to businesses from SDOT Businesses,

transportation changes. (Ongoing throughout all phases.) Community
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS 59
PARTICIPANTS
15. Operate buses on the Ave with battery power only or remove Metro
from this street.
TRANSIT
16. Implement RapidRide transit and pedestrian improvements on Metro SDOT

NE 45th Street.
17. Construct first phase of the Ave improvements between NE Community, SDOT
42nd Street and NE 45th Street. Businesses
18. Improve pedestrian and bicycle crossing of I-5 with east-west SDOT
bike routes on NE 45th Street.
PHASE 2 - 2021-2028
19. Plan and construct pedestrian improvements to the Ave north Community, Farmers
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
of NE 50th Street to Cowen Park. SDOT Market
20. Permit and construct improvements to Brooklyn Avenue Property OPCD,

NE as part of new private or institutional development. Ensure owners SDOT
consistency with the objectives of this plan and that the street
will accommodate the potential for buses as well as providing a
high-quality streetscape. (See #6.)
21. Monitor congestion and mobility problems and adjust as SDOT

necessary.
22. Conduct planning process for future mid-week Farmers Community OPCD
OTHER
Market.
23. Remove buses and private vehicles from the Ave and Metro, Businesses
complete substantial pedestrian improvements between NE 45th Community,
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
Street and NE 42nd Street. SDOT

PHASE 3 - 2028+
24. Route buses onto Brooklyn Avenue NE to improve transit Metro

reliability, transfers, and pedestrian movement on NE 43rd Street
and/or University Way.
25. Complete Brooklyn Avenue Green Street improvements with SDOT Property
northbound protected bike lane south of NE 43rd Street and north owners
of new 45th Street, extensive landscaping, and compatibility with
buses.

Appendix A. Existing Conditions & Alternative Scenarios
EXISTING CONDITIONS
NE 53rd St to Ravenna,
SAFETY ISSUES
Mapleleaf, & Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
Northgate Analysis challenging intersections
NE 52nd St (top 20 in Seattle)
UNIVERSITY
HEIGHTS Pedestrian
11th Ave NE
12th Ave NE
Bicycle
Brooklyn Ave NE
NE 50th St
7th Ave NE
20,800
UNIVERSITY HIGH VOLUME AREAS
5th Ave NE
PLAYGROUND
Daily Bus Boardings
0 - 68
10,200 11,500
16th Ave NE
15th Ave NE
69 - 239
¦
¨
§ 5 NE 47th St 714 | 2,398 240 - 564
8th Ave NE
9th Ave NE
123 | 237
565 - 1,167
University Way NE
1,168 - 1,876
to Ballard &
Wallingford Pedestrian Volumes
33,600 NE 45th St Width indicates relative #
27,300 of pedestrians in a day.
Potential route Counts only taken on some
9th Ave NE
to Seattle streets. (UW Student Project

FUTURE Children’s
17,200 circa 2012)
U DISTRICT
STATION Major pedestrian entries
354 | 674
60 | 108 NE 43rd St into campus
NE 43rd St
CHRISTIE #|# AM | PM peak count. Showing
PARK maximum count available
Roosevelt Way NE
from 2009-2012. (WA State

Bicycle & Pedestrian
NE 42nd St Documentation Project, 2012)
Bicycle Volumes
UNIVERSITY OF
Pasadena Pl NE
WASHINGTON #|# AM | PM peak count. Showing

NE 42nd St maximum count available
5th Ave NE
from 2009-2012. (WA State

8th Ave NE
George Washington Ln
Bicycle & Pedestrian

NE 41st St Documentation Project, 2012)
Vehicular Volumes
NE Campus Pkwy
NE 40th St NE Pacifi Major arterials. All but 15th
c St Ave NE are freight routes.
NE 40th St Width indicates relative
E
502 | 691
NE 40th St
N
to Eastlake volume.
NE N & downtown Burk 172 | 295
ve
orth e Gi Grant L
lake Average annual weekday
th A
19,800 Pl lma to Central District, Mt n #

NE Northlake Way 28,700 n Tr Baker TC, & NE Seattle vehicular traffic 2016 volumes
l
10
& Kenmore/Bothell (SDOT, 2016 Seattle Traffic

MAJOR PLANS & PROJECTS Streets and Parks MOBILITY STUDY Flow Map)
Transit NE 43rd St Rebuild Key streets

Future U District Station Brooklyn Ave NE Rebuild
Future station entrances Green Street Concepts

ASSUMPTIONS AND COMMON ELEMENTS
NE 53rd St Pedestrian volumes assumptions

Very high pedestrian
volumes
NE 52nd St
UNIVERSITY High pedestrian volumes
HEIGHTS
11th Ave NE
12th Ave NE
RR ROOSEVELT
Transit assumptions
“Fixed” route
Brooklyn Ave NE
NE 50th St
7th Ave NE
15th Ave NE
“Fixed” route option for
16th Ave NE
UNIVERSITY more direct transfer
5th Ave NE
PLAYGROUND
“Flexible” route; direct
University Way NE
transfer desired. These
routings are explored in
the scenarios and
¦
¨
§ 5 NE 47th St influence designs of:
8th Ave NE
9th Ave NE
• NE 43rd St,
• The Ave, and
• Brooklyn Ave NE.
Fully designed and

permitted Brooklyn Green
Street (as designed does
RR MARKET not accommodate buses)
NE 45th St and NE 43rd St at station
to be built in 2019. Any
changes require funding
9th Ave NE
EASTSIDE/RR 23RD
FUTURE and will have additional
U DISTRICT construction impacts.
STATION
NE 43rd St Other proposals
NE 43rd St
CHRISTIE Activate and utilize alleys
Roosevelt Way NE
PARK
Through-block passages
with redevelopment
NE 42nd St
NE 45th St traffic flow
UNIVERSITY OF options
Pasadena Pl NE
NE 42nd St WASHINGTON
Safe and comfortable
5th Ave NE
intersection crossings
8th Ave NE
George Washington Ln
for transfers
NE 41st St
U DISTRICT Safe and comfortable I-5
P-PATCH crossing for pedestrian/bike
NE Campus Pkwy
NE 40th St NE Pacifi
c St East-west bike route
RR BOTHELL
NE 40th St connecting west of I-5,

E
NE 40th St
N
NE N station, and UW campus

Burk
ve
orth e Gi Grant L
lake
th A
Pl lma n Improve vehicular

NE Northlake Way n Tr circulation
l
10
* “Fixed” is used loosely to indicate routes that do not need a Feet Farmers Market and
direct transfer at the station or already have one on NE 45th St. 0 150 300 600 n promenade to Cowen Park
Metro and SDOT are in various planning stages, with much to
be determined in 2019.
** “Flexible” routes benefit greatly from having a direct
transfer at the station and are shifted into various
APPENDICES 63
APPENDICES 65
Appendix B. Results From Public Engagement Activities
Event Name Date Groups Reached Participants Methods Outcomes

(estimated)
Walking Tour 9/7/17 - General public 40+ Neighborhood walking tour of key Familiarity with neighborhood
- Working Group sites in the core U District where concerns, announcement of the
- Transit agencies station area mobility is a concern. project, introduction to the Working
- Elected leaders: Methods: narrative from several Group.
- - Rob Johnson speakers, questions & answers, 12-
- - Mike O'Brien page tour handout.
- - Larry Gossett aide
- Local Media
U District BIA 1/18/18 - Business 35+ Presentation to the BIA with Update funding partner on status of
Improvement project details, status of grant project, garner support, and invite
Association application. Methods: presentation, participation.
- Coalition partner questions & answers, handout.
- Local businesses
Northeast 2/1/18 - Community group 15+ Presentation to regional district Update regional neighborhoods on
District Council - Adjacent councils about the project and status of project, garner support, and
neighborhoods invite to participate. Methods: slide invite participation.
presentation, project handout,
narrative, questions & answers.
U District Small 2/12/18 - Local businesses 10+ Presentation to local business Update key small businesses on status
Businesses & association's steering committee of project, garner support, and invite
Nonprofits about the project and invite to participation.
participate. Methods: slide
Online Survey 1 2/14/18 - - General Public 311 25-question online survey to ask Baseline data on how participants
4/10/18 how participants get around the U move around the district and how they
District currently and their plans in would expect to in the future:
the future. Methods: online survey - Strong support for direct transfers
with 25 questions. from buses to station
- Pedestrian safety and comfort
- Buffering between cyclists and cars
U District 2/14/18 - Community group 13+ Presentation to local community Update key community council on
Community - Coalition partner council about the project and status of project, garner support, and
Council invite to participate. Methods: slide invite participation.
Strategy Group 2/16/18 - Strategy Group 18+ Presentation of draft outreach plan Received feedback and answered
Meeting and survey for feedback. Methods: questions regarding draft outreach
agenda, draft plan and survey, plan and online survey from Strategy
timeline, questions & answers. Group members.
U District 2/20/18 - Coalition partner 24+ Presentation to local program Update community group of property
Partnership manager board about the project owners on status of project, garner
Board Meeting and invite to participate. Methods: support, and invite participation.
slide presentation, project
handout, narrative, questions &
answers.
APPENDICES 67
(estimated)
Community 3/7/18 - General Public 35+ Community workshop with - Walking, transit, biking are priority;
Workshop 1 - Strategy Group preliminary informal sharing of - Quick and easy transfers, quality
- UW Students information and a mapping walking environment, separated
exercise, followed by a bikeways;
presentation, large-group - Good design needed for seniors,
brainstorming, small-group disabled;
mapping exercise and report out.
Methods: mapping, question
boards, slide presentation, group
brainstorming, small group table
exercise, and report out.
UW Real Estate 3/13/18 - Coalition partner 15+ Meeting to discuss progress on Feedback from UW on developing plan
& Capital - Institutional leaders community outreach and and community priorities.
Planning & developing plan priorities.
Development Methods: Questions and answers,
feedback.
Strategy Group 3/26/18 - Strategy Group 19+ Review of workshop 1 and survey Update on transit agency timelines,
Meeting 1 results, presentation of status of suggestions for improved outreach,
project. Methods: presentation, feedback on workshop and survey 1.
agenda, handouts, brainstorming,
questions and answers.
U District Small 3/27/18 - Local businesses 8+ Presentation to local small Update key small businesses on status
Businesses & business association steering of project, garner support, and invite
Nonprofits committee about the status of the participation.
project and an invitation to
participate. Methods: Presentation,
questions & answers, handout.
Also a presentation by U District
Let's Go.
Ravenna-Bryant 4/2/18 - Community group 75+ Table to update citizens on status Familiarize adjacent neighbors with the
Community - Adjacent of project with maps and handouts. project and invite to participate.
Council Annual neighborhoods Methods: poster, maps, handouts,
Meeting questions & answers.
Community 4/3/18 - General public 70+ Community workshop with update - Strong support for pedestrianized Ave
Workshop 2 - Strategy Group on project and call for feedback - Attractive public realm
- UW Students with priority setting. Methods: - Pedestrian-friendly NE 43rd Street
- Local Media open house to answer questions, - Direct transfers between buses and
slide presentation, small group station
discussions, report out, handouts, - Brooklyn green street received 1 vote
maps.
Presentation at 4/4/18 - UW students 22+ Presentation to college course Familiarity with project among
Pedestrian focused on pedestrian mobility. students and invitation to participate in
Travel, Land Use Methods: presentation, handouts, the process.
and Urban Form questions and answers.
(UW Course)
Meeting with 4/10/18 - Elected leaders 11+ Presentation of project status and Networking suggestions for success of
Councilmembers introduction to three scenarios, project, next steps, request for support
Johnson & summary of community feedback of project for implementation.
O’Brien and requests for support. Methods:
presentation, questions & answers,
brainstorming.

(estimated)
Online Survey 2 4/10/18 - - General public 308 Multi-question online survey to ask - Strong support for Scenario 2 -
5/30/18 for feedback on proposed pedestrianized Ave
scenarios, community priorities, - Efficient & reliable bus routing
and street preferences. Methods: - Direct bus to station transfers
online survey with several - Attractive and safe public realm
questions. - Pedestrian-friendly NE 43rd Street
University Park 4/18/18 - Community group 20+ Presentation to neighborhood Familiarization with the project and
Community Club - Adjacent community group about the invitation to participate.
neighborhoods project. Methods: slide
presentation, questions & answers,
and brainstorming.
The Doorway 4/22/18 - General public 50-200 Table to update citizens on status Familiarity with the project.
Project Pop-Up - Homeless youth of project. Methods: questions &
Café answers.
Transit Advisory 4/25/18 Official City- 20-40 Methods: presentation to group - Generally supportive of plan;
Board sponsored Advisory with handouts, questions & - Prefer transit mall on the Ave
Board answers.
U District 5/2/18 - Local businesses 5-10 Presentation on status of project - Street civility chief concern;
Property and and request for feedback on major - Short-term parking a major concern
Small Business concerns and ideas. Methods:
Owners – narrative, questions & answers.
meeting 1
U District 5/3/18 - Local businesses 10+ Presentation on status of project - Street civility chief concern;
Property and and request for feedback on major - Short-term parking a major concern
Small Business concerns and ideas. Methods:
Owners – narrative, questions & answers.
meeting 2
UW Real Estate 5/3/18 - Coalition partner 8+ Status update on project. Methods: - Generally supportive of long-term
& Capital - Institutional leaders presentation, questions & answers, vision for the Ave, 43rd;
Planning & invitation to participate. - Priority on great transit service to UW
Development
Design Charrette 5/8/18 - City staff 50+ Stakeholder design charrette Familiarization with project,
- Transit agencies (focused working session). coordinated strategy concepts and
- Strategy Group Methods: presentation, charrette networking, brainstorming ideas and
- Elected leaders: (small groups), brainstorming, feasibility concerns.
- - Rob Johnson prioritization of next steps.
- - Larry Gossett aide
Pedestrian 5/9/18 Official City- 20-40 Methods: presentation to group - Generally supportive of plan
Advisory Board sponsored Advisory with handouts, questions &
Board answers.
U District 5/19/18 - General public 1,700+ Presentation to community Overwhelming support for scenario 2,
Streetfair Booth & - Coalition partners members and general public at to pedestrianize the Ave and NE 43rd
5/20/18 annual U District Streetfair over Street. Familiarization with the project
two days. Methods: two voting by citizens at Streetfair.
exercises to prioritize community Encouragement to attend the final
goals and evaluate and select community workshop.
preferred mobility scenario,
questions & answers, invitation to
final community workshop. Multi-
language support.
Transit Talks 5/24 - General public

event with TCC - Coalition partners
APPENDICES 69
(estimated)
Community 5/30/18 - General public 85+ Community workshop with update - Support for long term vision;
Workshop 3 - Strategy Group on project and call for feedback - Featured a presentation of new Ave
- UW students with priority setting. Methods: pedestrian count research by Dr.
- Media open house to answer questions, Berney’s class
slide presentation, small group
discussions, report out, handouts,
maps.
Online Survey 3 6/20/18 - - General public 263 Multi-question online survey to ask - Support for long term vision and
7/31/18 for feedback on proposed implementation steps.;
scenarios, community priorities, - Concern about accessibility and bike
and street preferences. Methods: routing
online survey with several
questions.
Meeting with 8/16/18 - Elected leaders: 9+ Status update on project and - Legislative Aides offered advice for
Councilmember - - Rob Johnson aide leading community priorities. rollout strategy
Staff (Amy Gore) Methods: Presentation, questions - discussion of legislative and political
- - Lisa Herbold Aide & answers. processes that will have a role in
(Newell Aldrich) implementation
Meeting with 8/17/18 - Elected leaders: 9+ Status update on project and - Recommendations for follow-up
Mayor's Office - - Mayor Durkan aide leading community priorities. strategies to speed implementation
(Ahmed Durrat) Methods: Presentation, questions - Recommendations for funding
& answers. programs and planning initiatives to
pursue
- Overall positive reaction to plan;
many of the plan implementation steps
can be funded with existing
programs/projects if there is good
coordination
U District Small 8/29/18 - Local businesses 8+ Presentation on status update of Update key small businesses on status
Businesses & project and pending release of of project, acknowledge their
Nonprofits final plan. Methods: narrative, participation and support, announce
questions & answers. pending release of plan.
U District 9/6/18 - Coalition partner 8+ Presentation on status update of Specific requests for revisions to draft
Partnership Staff project, feedback on suggested plan, exploration of future
revisions to draft plan, invitation to collaboration on project.
collaborate. Methods: narrative,
questions & answers,
brainstorming.

Appendix C. Formal Comments Received on the Draft
Recommendations
APPENDICES 71
TRANSIT ADVISORY BOARD
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3800 | PO Box 34996 | Seattle, WA 98124-4996 | T 206.684.ROAD (7623) | www.seattle.gov/transportation
APPENDICES 73
KING COUNTY METRO
Department of Transportation
Metro Transit Division
Service Development
201 South Jackson Street
KSC-TR-0413
Seattle, WA 98104-3856
August 2nd, 2018
U-District Mobility roup

M Metro ervice Development
U U District Mobility - xecutive ummary and ecommendations D
ing ounty Metro Metro fixed route service and route facilities play a key role in the future of
rd
transportation in the U-District with the introduction of Link light rail at rooklyn ve and
treet in .
Metro appreciates the active role it played in the U-District trategy group with representatives from
the oute acilities and ervice lanning workgroups attending planning meetings, design charrettes,
and community workshops. he dialogue and discussions in these meetings and workshops will
contribute to future outreach for Metro pro ects in the U-District Link light rail station area.
uture pro ects within the U-District tation rea include the orthgate Link service restructure, Metro
apid ide speed and reliability improvements, and trolley bus infrastructure to connect ad acent trolley
routes to the station and layover. n addition, Metro is coordinating with the eattle Department of
rd
ransportation D to redesign treet, improving the connection from the University of
Washington ampus to the U-District station, and on intersection spot improvements to improve safety,
and the speed and reliability of transit operations. Metro also has set a goal of having an all-electric bus
fleet by . How this goal would be achieved and implemented in the ity of eattle along routes
travelling to and through the U-District is still in development.
ach of these pro ects has its own internal and external process for outreach, approval, design, and
construction. s these pro ects are further defined, Metro will review existing city and agency plans and
polices, to insure they are feasible and consistent with community feedback and goals. n addition,
Metro will review the work of the U-District mobility group, the University of Washington and other U-
District stakeholders to ensure all prior planning efforts in the area are considered.

Having an in-depth understanding of previous outreach and existing plans will help guide future
outreach and ensure the full breadth of community input is incorporated in final design and
implementation plans. Metro invites the U-District Mobility group to attend future public meetings on
mobility planning in the area. We look forward to continuing to work and collaborate with the group on
improving mobility in the U-District and providing seamless, safe, efficient and reliable service to/from
Link light rail and other modes.
APPENDICES 75
U DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP STAFF
To: The U District Mobility Group
From: The U District Partnership Staff

Mark Crawford, Interim Executive Director
Chase Landrey, Community Engagement Coordinator
Date: August 6, 2018
Subject: Re: U District Mobility – Executive Summary and Recommendations DRAFT Comments
As a major funder of and participant in the U District Station Area Mobility planning effort, the U District
Partnership staff appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the draft Executive Summary and
Summary of Recommendations for the U District Station Area Mobility Plan. These summaries reflect an
exciting and dynamic set of opportunities for the further improvement of our neighborhood for the
benefit of the entire community. We applaud the diligent hard work of the team of volunteers who led
this initiative and carried the project from an idea, through community and stakeholder meetings, to the
current draft report. With that said, we would like to draw your attention to a few recommendations for
changes to the document before its final publishing.
First, we acknowledge the exemplary effort of the U District Mobility Group to invite members of
the U District community to participate in the planning process and we strongly support the
emphasis in the document to continue to include the community in both the further discussion
and implementation of the recommendations within. However, we have major concerns with
two aspects of how the community voice is represented in the document. The document both
overstates the breadth of the community which participated during the planning process and
the level of their support for several of the recommendations. In particular the wording of,
“There was overwhelming public support for transforming University Way NE (the Ave) into a
pedestrian street from NE 42nd Street to NE 45th Street in the long term” does not properly
account for the dissenting opinions which have been expressed by U District community
members against this proposal. We believe that this comment should be amended to say that
there was, “strong support amongst the participants in the planning process for…”. Similarly, the
description in the first paragraph of the makeup of the U District Mobility Group leads the
reader to believe that several U District small business owners were a part of the working group
and that their recommendations could therefore be assumed to be representative of the entire
small business community.
In the paragraph titled “Configure an efficient, flexible bus route network” we recommend that the
fifth sentence, concerning the conditions to take into account during future bus transit planning,
be expanded. It is vitally important that engagement also specifically mentions property owners
and developers in this section, especially considering the multiple properties currently being
developed on Brooklyn and the other streets surrounding the future light rail station. To not
proactively engage this community could cause unnecessary barriers in the implementation of
the community’s preferred route changes and other street level improvements.
The paragraph titled, “Create a safe and attractive street environment” should make sure to
mention that these plans must accommodate people of all abilities. This could also be expressed
earlier in the document, if the authors believe it better fits there.

Point 8. The sentence should instead call for the creation of a comprehensive parking management
strategy. This would include a study and lead to the implementation of findings and
recommendations.
Point 9. More context is needed around this point and how it fits into the mobility plan. The
connections may have been obvious to participants in the planning process but are probably not
clear to a first time reader.
Point 10. The U District Partnership has established and currently runs a robust public realm
maintenance and management program for the U District through its critically important Clean
and Safe work. There is no need to initiate a new program, but a recommendation for
community support to continue and expand the program would be welcomed.
Point 14. This should be written that businesses should be thoroughly engaged and aggressively
recruited to expand their involvement in future planning around transportations changes that
are likely to impact them.
Point 18. This point needs to be more specific. Is this sentence implying support for an additional
bike and pedestrian bridge over I-5 or improvements to the current infrastructure at 45th?
Point 22. This sentence should be expanded to recommend that the community, “Conduct planning
process for future mid-week Farmers Market which will ensure adequate space and
accommodations”.
Point 23. While we observed strong support among participants in the planning process to prioritize
pedestrian traffic and access to amenities on the Ave, we do not necessarily believe that this
represented a direct support for the exclusion of buses and private vehicles.
The second paragraph of the Summary of Recommendations should include an explanation of the
extent of the roles that the agencies and organizations in the Lead and Other Participant
columns are expected to take and the reasoning for their selection. It is not clear whether these
assignments are recommendations based upon the Mobility Group’s view of which one is best
situated to carry out the particular Actions or if they represent commitments by these groups.
We ask you to strongly consider our recommendations in the remainder of your editing process. We
look forward to the release of the final version of the Mobility Plan and when it is available, we plan to
send it to the appropriate U District Partnership board committee for them to comment upon as
necessary.
APPENDICES 77
SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAYS
To: The U District Mobility Group
From: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
Date: August 3, 2018
Subject: Re: U District Mobility – Executive Summary and Recommendations DRAFT Comments
Hello,
Big moves: We urge the consultants to capitalize on of people's willingness to re-envision how they get
around and interact with the University District just after the light rail station opens. To that end, we
believe we should do as much as possible to bring about the final vision of a pedestrian only Ave and
43rd with buses on Brooklyn as soon as possible after the station opens. Therefore, we recommend the
report strike recommendations 14 and 17 from the "mid term" recommendations, and move 23 and 24
from the "long term" to the "mid term" section. Perhaps a more appropriate "long term" element would
be final hardscape construction of the Ave and 43rd as pedestrian only streets (whereas earlier
improvements could simply leave the existing curb and gutter in place while adding tables, benches,
planters, etc).
The risk of not moving the pedestrianization elements earlier is very high. I was just talking to the
mayor's office today and they were commenting how a five year old transportation plan was hopelessly
out of date. Ten years from now most, if not all, of the community members, advocates, and elected
leaders who helped craft this vision will have moved on. Now is the time to push for a bold
implementation despite the hurdles that we face. There will always be hurdles, but we risk loosing
momentum and missing the key window of opportunity of the rail station opening to change hearts and
minds. Let's not miss this opportunity and have to wait another 50 years.
I-5 pedestrian/bike crossing improvement: Market rapid ride is set to open in 2022 but still in pre-
concept. We should make sure the planning for this happens early enough that if there are possible
smaller cost improvements to crossing I-5 that contribute to the rapid ride vision that we can go after
funding to make those small quick changes happen.
Thank you,
-Gordon Padelford
(206) 963-8547
Executive Director
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
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U DISTRICT MOBILITY GROUP

FINAL | SEPTEMBER 2018

U DISTRICT MOBILITY GROUP MEMBERS CONSULTANT TEAM

STRATEGY GROUP MEMBERS FINANCIAL SPONSORS

Jonathan Lewis, Seattle Department of Transportation

Brand Koster, King County Metro

Kristin Hoffman, Sound Transit

FISCAL SPONSOR University of Washington

U District Mobility is a project of U District Advocates, a 501c3

II U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................1

EXISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS ................................................................................................. 13

PLANNING PROCESS ......................................................................................................................................... 23

CONCEPTUAL STREET DESIGNS AND OTHER MOBILITY PROPOSALS..................................................... 35

U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN III

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 57

IV U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

The U District light rail station will open in 2021

The plan is a result of both extensive and intensive community

2 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Street Use by Mode

Functional conceptual map of recommended principles.

While the previous principles provide a clear direction addressing

This means that the plan is a strategic framework for making

4 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

1 Development of a Mobility Hub program and implementation plan is

Figure 2. A multimodal green street proposal for Brooklyn Avenue NE.

6 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Proposal for a curbless design on NE 43rd Street.

A vision for the Ave’s future.

8 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

The District’s prominent role in the region and the complexity of

More specifically, the project aims to achieve the following

10 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

12 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

The map at Figure 6 (next page) summarizes existing transportation

pedestrian route in the study area. It carries

ExISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS 13

14 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

A spring 2018 study conducted by UW students in Dr. Rachel

Public safety is also a concern in the U District in certain areas where

ExISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS 15

16 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

NE 45th Street 49, 44 18 N/A N/A

transfers will be a major component of the transit system in this

Future Light Rail Transit

Figure 9. U District station site plan.

ExISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS 17

Vehicle traffic in the core of the neighborhood is low by comparison.

North of 45th Street, the neighborhood is crossed by minor arterials

18 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

In addition, the Bicycle Master Plan calls for

ExISTING CONDITIONS AND PROJECTIONS 19

20 U DISTRICT STATION AREA MOBILITY PLAN

Delivery and Business Access

In addition to bulk deliveries, many retail businesses also send

Rideshare services now supplement taxis in providing direct access